TCA – Yacht Chef Program

The Crew Academy's Yacht Chef program is designed for chefs looking to bring their culinary skills into the maritime environment, focusing on the realities and professional standards required for life and work aboard superyachts.

This program is intended for land-based and aspiring chefs looking to break into the yachting industry, as well as new yacht chefs in their first season who want to fill the gaps and build their confidence.

While many chefs are accomplished in a traditional kitchen, transitioning to a galley requires a unique understanding of what it means to be a yacht chef. You will need to understand how to operate a galley, provision at sea, cook for crew and guests, backed by a deep understanding of maritime safety.

Without tailored training and actionable advice from those who have been there first hand, even the most talented chefs can struggle to adapt their skills to the rigorous and unwritten expectations of a superyacht galley.

In this program, we bridge the gap between land-based cooking and world-class maritime service. Assuming you already know how to work your way around a kitchen, then the galley should be no different. It will take some time to adapt, but once you have your sea terminology down, you should have no problem getting around a galley, as long as you can handle the heat!

The focus of this course is how to apply your knowledge to a life at sea: running the galley, provisioning, catering for crew and guests, navigating onboard relationships and hierarchy, handling problems calmly when things go wrong, and building a lasting career.

Course Format

• Self-paced eLearning delivered online via the kelp. learning platform
• Photos, videos and audio narration available throughout — listen instead of reading whenever you prefer
• Multiple-choice and short-answer knowledge checks throughout the program
• An end-of-module assessment for each of the 15 modules

Modules

The course is organised into 15 modules across two levels.

Level 1: Foundations & Getting In

• Introduction to yachting & yacht life
• Your first day onboard a yacht
• What is expected of you as the chef
• Breaking into the yachting industry

Level 2: Life & Work in the Galley

• The Galley: your designated work space
• How to provision
• Providing for crew & guests
• Time management, hours of rest & galley hacks
• How to develop working relationships onboard
• What to do if something goes wrong
• Ship's Cook Certificate
• Money money money
• How to get hired & stay hired

Certification

Upon successful completion of this program, learners will be awarded a TCA - Yacht Chef program certificate verified by The Crew Academy.

You will also have the opportunity to opt into joining our thriving community and gain free access to our Mental Health courses, as well as exclusive discounts on additional programs.

Platform Access

Students enrolling in the Yacht Chef program with The Crew Academy receive immediate access to all course content and the full resource library. All self-study and guided training must be completed within 12 months of booking.